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Friday, October 04, 2013

Forgiving Effie Beck is Karen Casey Fitzjerrell's second book. Her ﬁrst book, The Dividing Season, won the EPIC Award for Best Historical Fiction. Efe Beck’s story takes place during the Great Depression and is told through multi-points of view, though mostly the reader will “see” the world through the eyes of Mike Lemay, an interviewer for the Federal Writers' Project.

Effie Beck, an elderly ranch woman is reported missing in the ﬁrst pages of the book.
Mike Lemay is drawn into the search for the woman and discovers she had secrets that
no one knew about. Through Mike’s interviews we learn about other people in town, not all of them lovable, and none of them are paper dolls. They come across as real people with real feelings, problems, joys, and secrets. You can tell Fitzjerrell did her research on the time period and place. She seamlessly settles you into the hearts of the town’s people and into times long gone.

Over the course of the book, people accept Mike as one of their own. He discovers some things he doesn't want to know. But most of all, he discovers truths about himself -- and Jodean Travis, the young woman who rents him a room.I'd like to read another book set in this town with these people. This time is long gone, but so very relevant to today's world.

I give Forgiving Effie Beck a rating of Hel-of-a-Story.

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FTC Disclaimer: This book was sent to me as a Proof. I, on
my own, made the decision to review Forgiving Effie Beck. If Fitzjerrell
decides to write another book set in this town, I'd like to see the world
through Jodean Travis' POV. In fact, I'd like to read a book about her life
from when she was born to the time Mike enters her world. And that's the
problem with Fitzjerrell's books. She brings her characters to life. They're so
real, you want to know more about them, more about this time period. You want
her to hurry up and get the next book out. You want her to sit down and get to
writing the next book a Hel-of-a-Lot-Faster.

Angel Sometimes by Helen Ginger

Angel Sometimes

Helen Ginger

Helen is the author of five books: three non-fiction, a short story anthology and a contemporary fiction, Angel Sometimes. She maintains an informational and interactive blog for writers and a weekly e-newsletter that has been going out to subscribers around the globe for thirteen years. She is an owner-partner and Women’s Marketing Director for Legends In Our Own Minds®, which specializes in creative networking opportunities for companies and groups.